Fast Times at Monster High
by Robert Teague
Summary: A freak accident gives Ghoulia something she's always wanted, but is the gift worth the price that must be paid?


Fast Times at Monster High

by Robert Teague

This story was written for the entertainment of Monster High fans, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be reproduced, providing no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note: I've decided I was a bit hasty and posted this before it was ready. So besides fixing some confusing bits, I also wanted to add some drama about human/monster relations, since that's a recurring theme in the webisodes.

mhmhmh

Frankie Stein stood on the steps of the main entrance to Monster High, looking down the path leading toward the rows of homes. Walking slowly toward the school was her zombie friend, Ghoulia Yelps.

Overhead lightning flashed, and was followed immediately by thunder. Frankie glanced up, then back at the zombie-girl.

"Ghoulia, hurry up! The storm's here!" she called.

She got a nod in reply, and watched as Ghoulia tried to hurry, but really didn't see much difference. Finally she ran out to meet her, patience at an end.

"Sorry, but unless you want your clothes ruined and books wet, you need to get inside," she said, holding out her hand.

Ghoulia took it, and Frankie headed back to the (relative) safety of the school building, tugging her along. The zombie felt grateful and bad at the same time. Grateful that Frankie cared enough about her to risk ruining her own clothes, and bad because she really had no choice but to move slowly.

They had taken all of three steps when lightning flashed down, targeting Frankie. It struck her, their bodies stiffening as electricity crackled around them. Ghoulia was blown away, taking the hand she was holding with her.

Normally, Frankie found a sudden strike like that to be refreshing, but not this time. Her energy seemed to drain away, and she sat down heavily, falling backwards with her eyes closed.

Ghoulia sat up and looked at her friend's hand in her own. The stitches for the appendage had snapped, but she knew Frankie kept a sewing kit handy for just such an occasion. Looking over, she saw Frankie lying down, unmoving. She crawled over to her, and realized she was unconscious. Just then the rain started, falling in sheets.

She had to get help. She put the hand down and stood up, and suddenly found herself outside the door to the school nurse's office.

"Huh? How did I get here?" she wondered briefly, but forgot about it; Frankie was more important. Going inside she found the nurse, a humanoid spider woman.

"Ms. Arachne, Frankie's been struck by lightning, but it hurt her instead of charging her!" she said.

The nurse immediately stood up. "Take me to her."

She followed the zombie outside, ignoring the rain, to find Frankie still unmoving. She spun silk into a sling around her, and carried her back in. Ghoulia gathered her books and followed. Students in the hall watched, and the rumors started.

While the nurse examined Frankie, Ghoulia sent a text to their other friends, Clawdeen, Cleo, Draculaura, and Lagoona. It took a minute, but she got replies saying they'd be there as soon as they could be.

While she waited, she sorted out her books. Fortunately the lightning hadn't fried them, and the papers stayed inside the binder. Everything was wet, but would dry out fine.

She went to her locker and put everything away, then returned to the infirmary. Passing a window, she saw the rain had slacked off, and the thunderstorm had moved on. The weather forecast was for heavy rain and possible flooding today, ending in the evening.

It was some five minutes later when her ghoulfriends arrived. She met them outside the door.

"What happened?" asked Cleo.

"Frankie was struck by lightning trying to help me hurry inside before the storm broke," she explained, "But instead of charging her up, it knocked her out." There were no replies, and when she looked, discovered they were all staring at her. "What's with the looks?"

"Uh, Ghoulia, you're speaking English," said Clawdeen.

"I am?" she queried, brow wrinkling in confusion.

"Yes, and you have a nice voice," said Cleo.

"Yeah, how are you doing that?" asked Draculaura.

The zombie internalized her attention for a moment. She felt... great!

"I don't know," she said, "The lightning got me too, but I didn't think it affected me."

"It obviously did," answered Cleo.

"Well, that seems to be good news, but let's see how Frankie is," said Lagoona.

They went inside to find Ms. Arachne just getting off the phone. "Ghouls, I called Frankie's father. He'll be coming to pick her up shortly."

"What's wrong with her?" asked the petite vampire, going over to the bed. Frankie seemed to be comfortable, eyes closed, the still-unattached hand beside her.

"I don't know. She doesn't seem to be injured, but won't wake up," was the reply. "I hope her father will be able to help."

mhmhmh

With the nurse's help Mr. Stein loaded Frankie in the back of the hearse he had driven to the school. He interviewed Ghoulia for details, and said that, since she was affected, she should come too.

Headmistress Bloodgood gave permission, and was there to see them off, along with their friends and boyfriends. Slo-Moe had come in late, and Deuce put him in the picture.

They all watched with concern as the hearse drove away.

mhmhmh

In the basement laboratory, Dr. Stein hooked Frankie up to a number of instruments and took readings while Ghoulia stood by. He studied the results carefully for a long time, the zombie girl waiting patiently. He had reattached the hand, muttering about getting some extra-strong thread.

Then he pulled over another table. "I want to measure you too, primarily for life energy," he said, gesturing.

Ghoulia climbed onto it and lay down. "Go ahead, but I don't expect you to find anything. I was born a zombie, and never had any life energy."

With the sensors hooked up, Dr. Stein took readings. "Well, you do now," he said, "You're still dead, but the energy is there, dropping slowly." He compared the readings from the ghoulfriends.

"Hmm..." he said at last, "She seems to have thirteen percent of her life energy, and rising slowly... at the exact rate you are losing it."

He looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "So... you have eighty-five percent, with two percent loss in transmission. I calculate it will take a couple of days for her to get back ninety-seven percent. The rest will regenerate over time."

"That's a relief, sir," answered Ghoulia.

"Yes... I expect her to wake up soon. She'll be weak, but will recover." he added.

"Can you transfer it back to her?" asked Ghoulia, sitting up.

The mad scientist thought for a few moments. "Yes, but it wouldn't be worth the effort. By the time I got everything ready, there wouldn't be much left. If it's not hurting you, I'd suggest you just tolerate it until it's drained."

"No, it's not hurting. But would it explain why I'm speaking English instead of Zombie?" she asked, pulling off the sensor pads.

"I thought something was different about you. I'd say it's likely. Your brain is using it to generate better speech. There might be other effects that haven't shown up yet," he said.

Dr. Stein, along with his lab assistant Igor and Ghoulia, took Frankie upstairs and put her to bed. She was still asleep. Ghoulia paused for a moment, looking down at her friend. She touched her hand, half-expecting to get a shock, but nothing happened.

They went back down to the front door. "Thank you for your help, Ghoulia," said Dr. Stein, "I'll drive you home." He got his keys out of his pocket.

"That's okay, sir, it's not that far. I'll walk," she replied. "I'll come see her later. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, young lady, and let me know if anything else manifests," he said.

Going outside, she noted the rain had stopped, but it was still overcast. She stepped off the porch, and in a blur of motion found herself on her own front porch.

"HUH? Did I just..?" she wondered, looking around. She took off running as fast as she could, and found herself at the school's front door.

A grin appeared on her gray face. "Yes! Whatever happened, it's given me super speed!" she said aloud. She checked the time and took off again, testing her new power. Arriving home, she saw it had taken just seconds, as opposed to the usual hour and a half.

Excited, she went inside. Her parents weren't home yet, so she did her chores, taking a fraction of the normal time. Then she went upstairs to her room. This was an incredible gift, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do with it.

Her parents hadn't allowed her to attend NekroCon, but she did get an idea from the dream she had about it. From her closet she pulled out a Deadfast costume she'd been working on. It was complete, except for the mask.

She paused, staring at it. She still didn't know who put the Deadfast #0 in her binder. She had questioned everyone, but no one would fess up.

Taking her time, she undid the stitching that made up the "DF" logo, and replaced it with another letter. Then she had to repaint the belt buckle. This was going to be SO cool...

mhmhmh

About the time she finished dinner, she got a text from Lagoona, saying they were over at Frankie's. Her parents were very pleased with her about having her chores finished, so they gave permission for her to go over.

It took just seconds to make the trip, and she found her friends waiting for her. They went up together and Draculaura knocked before going inside.

Frankie was awake, sitting up in bed and watching TV. There was a monitor beside her, tracking the amount of life energy she had. It currently read 18%.

Hey, ghoulfriends!" she said, sporting a wide smile. She turned the volume down.

"So good to see you up!" said the vampire, giving Frankie a hug.

"Where's Jackson? Or Holt, for that matter," asked Clawdeen.

"He called; said he had too much homework, but he'd see me tomorrow," she answered.

"Speaking of which, here are the homework assignments from the classes you missed," said Cleo, giving Frankie and Ghoulia copies.

Frankie made a sour face, but Ghoulia just folded it and put it away.

"So, how are you feeling, mate?" asked Lagoona.

"Better, but I'm still weak. Dad said it will take a couple of days to get back to normal," she answered, and looked at Ghoulia. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," the zombie answered, "In fact, the best I've ever been!"

"Wow, you ARE speaking English! And that's an effect from what you got from me?" asked Frankie, eyes wide.

"Apparently so," Ghoulia nodded. She had decided to tell them everything. "And that's not all." Before their astonished eyes, she zipped around the room, creating a draft that threatened to tear off Cleo's wrappings.

"You- you can move that fast now?" asked an astonished Draculaura.

"Yes. I found out when I left here eariler," was the reply. "I'm not sure just how fast, though."

"Hm," said Cleo, thoughtfully, "I'll have to find some things for you to do that will slow you down."

"CLEO!" shouted the others, glaring at her.

"Just kidding!" said the mummy-girl, holding up her hands defensively.

Ghoulia chuckled. "It will take some time getting used to."

"Time I'm afraid you don't have," said Dr. Stein, coming in. He pointed at the monitor, which now read 19%. At that rate, you'll lose it all in two days."

"Aw, bats!" said Draculaura.

"I want to check your level," he said, putting a sticky-padded sensor on her arm. The attached monitor turned on and read 75%.

"A six percent loss?" he said aloud. He looked down at the zombie girl. "Have you been running around since you left?"

"Yes sir, a bit," was the answer.

"Have you found any other changes?" he asked, removing the sensor.

"No sir, not so far," she answered.

"I'll be back in a moment; I have something in the lab that will help." He left, muttering to himself.

"Let me make sure I understand," said Clawdeen, "Getting hit by lightning gave you most of Frankie's life energy, and it's slowly leaving you and going back to her. And while you've got it, you can speak clearly and have super speed."

"In a nutshell," nodded the zombie.

"Race ya!" said Clawdeen with a toothy grin.

"You're on!" said Ghoulia.

The werewolf and the zombie were out the door and gone, leaving the others feeling a mixture of amusement and tolerance for their friend's antics.

Frankie turned up the volume, and they watched the news reports. The heavy rain was making rivers rise, and there was some actual flooding. Cleo wanted to keep an eye on things because her home pyramid was on a level area not far above the flood plain.

A few minutes later Dr. Stein came back in. "Where is Ghoulia?"

"She and Clawdeen decided to have a race," said Cleo, rolling her eyes.

The mad scientist chuckled. "Well, if Ghoulia wins, it will be historical moment; the first time a zombie ever beat a werewolf in a race."

"Then mark the date, because that's what happened!" said Ghoulia, coming in. Clawdeen was right behind her, panting slightly. Ghoulia, not needing to breathe, was not. They were both windblown.

"She won fair and square!" said Clawdeen, "Haven't had that kind of challenge in a long time!" She grinned and put an arm around Ghoulia's shoulder. "Thanks, ghoulfriend!"

"Ghoulia, until Frankie recovers, I want you to wear this," said Dr. Stein, handing her what looked like a watch. She put it on and the instrument activated, the readout showing 71%.

"Wow, you used up four percent in that race!" said Clawdeen, looking over her shoulder.

"That's fine; Frankie's not in danger," said Dr. Stein, "But whatever you use, it will take her that much longer to regenerate."

"I'll be careful, Frankie," said Ghoulia.

The patchwork girl smiled at her friend. "That's okay. You have fun while you can."

"We interrupt this program with breaking news," came a voice from the TV, catching everyone's attention. On the screen, a woman with six eyes and purple skin was reading. "A channel 13 roving reporter has called in that the Creaky Causeway has been shattered by flood waters, and a bus of normie children are trapped."

The scene changed to a darkened swamp area, lit by floodlights and lightning. The orange bus was set on a piece of the wooden bridge that was anchored to a rock.

The reporter continued, "We were able to contact the bus through the city radio on board, and everyone is okay at the moment. Emergency officials have been contacted, but indicate they have their hands, tentacles, and other appendages full. It will be hours before anyone can get there."

There was a moment of silence, then a rustle of clothes.

THIS looks like a job for..." said Ghoulia.

Everyone turned to see she had taken off her clothes, and was dressed in a Deadfast costume.

"THE ZOOMBIE!" she said, taking a noble pose. They saw that the "DF" on the chest had been replaced with a "Z".

Dead, and I mean DEAD silence for a moment. Then everyone cracked up. Ghoulia slumped. That was not the reaction she was hoping for.

"The Zoombie?" snickered Draculaura, sitting on the bed.

"Seriously?" said Cleo, trying not to laugh again.

Frankie had laughed too, but now her face was red and she was looking away from Ghoulia, still wearing a grin.

"Well.. the costume works, but that name..." said Lagoona, also trying not to laugh.

"Hey, all the good names are taken," protested the zombie-girl.

"Whatever," said Cleo, "But don't you think you'd better go?"

"What do you think you're going to do, young lady?" asked Dr. Stein.

"Depends on the situation, sir," she replied.

She went over to Frankie and took her hand. "Are you okay with this? It's your energy, and I won't use it if you say no."

"It's your dream, so go for it!" she answered, squeezing the zombie's hand. "I just wish I could help."

"You're the one enabling me to, so what more help could you be? You rest and recover," said Ghoulia.

"Do you know where the Causeway is?" asked Lala.

"Yes. It's been a while, but I've been over it," the zombie answered.

"Take me with you, mate," said Lagoona, stepping forward. "You need some backup, and I'm best for the job."

"Thanks! Let's go!" said Ghoulia. There were a few awkward moments as they figured out how the zombie could carry the sea monster. They settled on Ghoulia holding Lagoona in her arms, then were gone.

Dr. Stein adjusted the sensor he had on Frankie and made some adjustments. "I'm getting a reading from her watch." he explained. The readout split in two. As they watched, Ghoulia's dropped from 71% to 70%.

mhmhmh

"Wow, this is impressive," said Lagoona, having to shout over the rushing wind. The world was passing by her rapidly. She estimated they were going nearly a hundred miles an hour. "You orright, carrying me?"

"Sorry, can t talk. I need to concentrate so I don't trip," said Ghoulia.

The salt-water girl fell silent. Now that she was on the way, she felt a bit of trepidation. Sure, she could operate in fresh water for a while, but not indefinitely. She'd just have to cope. She wished Gil was with her.

Ghoulia slowed down, then stopped at the edge of the damaged Causeway and put Lagoona down. Together they surveyed the situation. The bus was firmly on an undamaged part of the bridge, and it was stable, thanks to the supports and rock beneath that had not been damaged. The water rushed along just below the bridge, and they knew it would continue to rise.

"What do you think?" asked Lagoona.

Ghoulia was quiet for a long time, and the other finally looked at her. "Ghoulia? What's wrong?"

The zombie-girl looked up at her friend. "For years I've dreamed of being a super hero. But being here, now, makes me realize that there is a huge difference between a dream and the reality."

"Yeah, you're right. But don't worry. You're smart, you can handle it." she smiled. "Besides, you're already dead. This won't kill you. And I'm here to help."

"Thanks, Lagoona." she looked back at the bus. They could see people moving around inside. "You go into the water and stand by. I'll run out there, and bring them back to the shore."

"You can do that?" asked the sea monster, surprised.

Ghoulia shrugged. "It's possible. It should be like skipping a stone."

"All right, then, let's do this!" Lagoona dove into the dark water.

Ghoulia turned and got a running start, and found she could run on the water. Encouraged, she made a circuit of the bus before stopping by the door. Glancing over into the water, Lagoona's head broke the surface, and she waved.

Ghoulia waved back, then knocked on the door.

mhmhmh

"There they are!" said Frankie, pointing at the TV. The camera zoomed in just as the friends exchanged the wave. The Deadfast costume's red showed up clearly.

"That was neat, the way she ran on the water," said Clawdeen.

"She has every issue of Deadfast," said Cleo, "I would guess she has all his tricks memorized."

"Let's hope so," added Dr. Stein, "If they pull this off, it will help monster-normie relations."

"I hope they can get everyone to shore before the energy runs out!" said Lala.

Ghoulia's readout read 64%, and Frankie's 22%.

mhmhmh

A surprised bus driver opened the door and the zombie stepped in.

"Who are you?" he asked, aprehensive. It was obvious she was some kind of monster. He would defend the kids if he had to.

"I'm here to get everyone to safety," Ghoulia explained, trying to smile at the children, who were staring at her with wide eyes.

"How?" asked the driver.

"I'll carry the children to the shore one at a time," was the answer. "I've got a friend in the water, just in case."

"Is your friend a monster?" asked a girl.

"Yes, she's a sea monster named Lagoona. She'll save anyone who falls in," the zombie-girl replied.

"Is she nice?" the girl said, coming closer.

"Yes, she's very sweet. You can trust her," was the answer.

"What kind of monster are you?" asked a boy.

"I'm a zombie, but that's not important," said Ghoulia, "You need to leave now, before the water gets any higher."

The driver glared at her. "I don't think I want to trust these kids to a zombie's mercy. I know what YOUR kind does to humans!"

"But she's a super hero!" protested the girl, "See her costume? What's your name?"

Ghoulia smiled at her. "I- " she decided 'The Zoombie' WAS silly. "My name is Ghoulia, but I don't have a super hero name. This is a one-time deal."

"Maybe you'd better leave," said the driver, standing up.

"No sir, we have to get these kids to safety!" said Ghoulia.

"I want to go first!" said the girl, coming up to her.

"Clair, stay back!" said the driver, "You can't trust monsters!"

The girl pouted and took Ghoulia's arm.

"It seems your bigotry hasn't passed to the next generation," she told the driver. "I'm going to save these children with or without your help." She picked up Clair. "Let's go, honey."

She got to shore with a delighted normie girl in her arms to find a TV news crew waiting. "We'll take care of her," the reporter told her. With a nod, she took off back to the bus.

"I got the okay from the dispatcher," said the driver, "But all these kids better be accounted for. AND in one piece."

"They will be," she answered, "I prefer fast food. The TV crew will look after them until the rescue monsters show up."

He hesitated, thinking. Trusting this zombie seemed to be the only option. "Okay, then. But..."

"Don't worry," she answered, quickly taking a head count. There were nineteen left, counting the driver.

"Me next!" said the boy who had spoken.

mhmhmh

"It looks like the evacuation has started," said Cleo.

"I'm really worried about the energy holding out," said Lala. Ghoulia's readout read 58%, while Frankie's had risen to 23%.

"I think I'll drive down there," said Dr. Stein. "I'm sure they'll be tired."

"You can't, dad," said Frankie, "While you were out of the room they announced the roads are closed to regular traffic."

"Then we'll just have to hope for the best," he said, and everyone's attention returned to the drama.

mhmhmh

Ghoulia carried ten more kids to shore before she happened to think of checking the energy reading. It was down to 38%.

The rest of the kids and driver had gotten off the bus. The kids were leaning against the rail and talking to Lagoona.  
The sweet-natured sea monster was friendly and reassuring while the driver held his peace and glared. She answered questions and talked to the kids while Ghoulia took them to safety.

At one point a surge of water washed two kids over the side, but Lagoona was right there.

"I've got ya, mates!" she said, one child in each arm, holding their heads above water. They wrapped their arms around her neck and held on.

Knowing she couldn't swim to shore carrying both of them, she made her way back to the bridge, where the driver took them and make sure they were okay. Then he turned to her.

"Thank you, miss," he said, "I guess I was wrong about monsters."

Lagoona smiled at him. "It's orright, mate. Just remember to judge us like you do any other normie."

"I will," he smiled back.

Ghoulia started checking the watch after each trip, watching as it dropped much more rapidly than she liked. It would be close, but she estimated it would be enough. She went back to the bus for another child.

mhmhmh

In Frankie's room, the readouts had become the focus, rather than the TV. The two had finally matched at 23%. But then, to everyone's horror, Ghoulia's stayed the same while Frankie's dropped a point.

"They are still connected," explained Dr. Stein, "And now Ghoulia is using it faster than Frankie can regenerate."

"We'd better call and let her know," said Lala. She dialed Ghoulia's number, and were surprised when her iCoffin rang right there.

Clawdeen picked up the discarded clothes. "Here's her phone."

"And Lagoona left hers too," added Frankie, holding it up.

"Oh, bats," said the vampire. "So Ghoulia will suck out all of Frankie's energy?"

"I'm afraid so," the scientist answered, "We'll just have to hope she finishes first."

"As a zombie, Ghoulia makes a pretty good vampire," Lala quipped.

"Not funny, Lala," Clawdeen said, glaring at her best friend.

"Sorry," muttered the vampire, abashed.

"But worth it if she rescues those normies," said Frankie.

"Very noble of you," said Cleo, "Taking care of the little people is always important."

Both readouts suddenly dropped a point.

mhmhmh

Ghoulia checked the watch, surprised to discover the reading was down to 18%. Had she needed to breathe, she would have given a sigh of relief. There was enough left to finish the rescue.

A few more trips and everyone but the driver was ashore. She returned to the bus for the last time.

"Miss, I'm sorry for what I said before. Thank you for not holding it against me," said the driver.

Ghoulia moaned in response.

"What? I don't understand," he said.

She was speaking Zombie again? She checked the watch. Two percent? Wait a second- what about Frankie? She hadn't thought of what would happen if she used all the energy! She reached for her iCoffin, but then remembered she left it behind. She went over to the rail.

_"Lagoona, do you have your phone with you?"_ she called.

"No, I didn't want it to get wet. Hey, you're speaking Zombie again!" the sea monster replied.

"_Yes, the energy is nearly gone,"_ she answered, _"But I thnk there's enough left for one more trip."_

"I'll meet you ashore," called Lagoona, and her head disappeared beneath the water.

'What do I do?' thought Ghoulia, going back to the bus.

Just then the water surged higher, covering their feet before receeding again. The driver gasped.

She came to a decision. 'I've come this far, I need to finish and hope Frankie will be okay.'

_"I hope I can do this,"_ she said aloud, but the driver shook his head, not understanding.

mhmhmh

Everyone watched as Frankie's level dropped. At the 10% level she fell back against the pillow. "Tell them... I'm proud of them..." She fell asleep.

"Dr. Stein, what happens if it reaches zero?" asked Lala.

"She dies," he said, simply. At their looks he added, "Oh, don't worry, I can revive her. But thing is, her brain will reboot, and she won't be the Frankie you know now."

Tears started from Cleo, Lala, and Clawdeen, and they turned to the readouts, watching anxiously. As Ghoulia took normie children to safety, the level dropped.

mhmhmh

With an effort, Ghoulia picked up the large normie bus driver.

"I hope you can do this," he said, and after a moment's hesitation put his arm around her shoulders.

_"Me too,"_ she muttered. _"Hold on."_

Getting a running start, she headed out over the water, turning toward the shore as quickly as she could.

"Nearly there..." she thought, as the people waiting and watching got closer.

Suddenly the watch beeped, indicating the energy level was zero. She stumbled, losing speed and they both fell into the water.

mhmhmh

Frankie's monitor hit zero at the same moment. Her light green skin turned gray and she relaxed completely.

Clawdeen let out a mournful howl.

Lala wrapped her arms around Frankie's neck, crying and saying, "No, no, no... Frankie don't leave us!"

Cleo dropped to her knees by the bed, taking the patchwork girl's hand in her own. "Osiris, protect her spirit..." she said quietly, "She was a good friend."

Dr. Stein disconnected the monitor, thinking of the daughter he had made and was very proud of.

mhmhmh

"There ya are, I got ya," said Lagoona, pulling the driver's head above water.

"Where's the other girl?" he asked, spluttering.

"I'll find her, but I need to get you to shore first," said the sea monster, and helped him until it was shallow enough for him to stand.

Everyone on shore cheered, but Lagoona dove back in, using her instincts to find Ghoulia. She didn't hurry, knowing the zombie was in no danger of drowning. There she was! She was struggling to reach the surface. Lagoona grabbed her and pulled her up.

"You okay, love?" she asked.

_"Yes, I'm fine. What about the driver?"_ asked Ghoulia.

"I helped him to shore. Let's go, this fresh water is starting to get to me," was the reply.

When they got to land, they were met by the driver and children, as well as the reporters and rescue teams that had finally arrived.

As they climbed out of the water, towels were offered and accepted. Above, the clouds parted a bit, and stars could be seen.

Both Lagoona and Ghoulia begged off being interviewed and treated as heroes, being low-key people, but they did accept thanks from the driver and hugs from the children.

"Bye, Ghoulia," said Clair, squeezing her tightly, "I hope I'll see you again."

When the zombie moaned in answer, Clair looked confused.

"She said she does too, love," said Lagoona. "She's speaking zombie."

"Then I'll learn to speak it too," said the little girl, getting a smile from both monsters.

Finally they caught a ride back to the Stein house with an ambulance heading back to the Haunted Hospital.

Going into Frankie's room, they found everyone silent and sad. Frankie lay unmoving.

"What's wrong, ghoulfriends?" asked Lagoona.

"Frankie's... gone," said Cleo. "All the energy was used up." She pointed at the monitors, both were reading zero. She hadn't realized they were disconnected.

Ghoulia turned to Lagoona and the sea monster hugged her. The zombie wasn't capable of crying, but she was very sad.

Everyone came over to comfort her.

"It wasn't your fault, Ghoulia," said Dr. Stein. "You saved lives. Frankie wanted both of you to know she was proud of you."

After a few minutes of sad silence, Dr. Stein called in Igor to return Frankie's body to the lab. A gurney was brought in, and they got ready to move the body over to it.

Suddenly Frankie coughed and opened her eyes. Everyone stared at her.

"Hey, everyone... I'm baaack..." she smiled.

"FRANKIE!" everyone shouted at once. They crowded around her, very, very happy.

When he was able to, Dr. Stein hooked up the sensor again, and it read 2%.

"How did Frankie survive?" Draculaura asked Dr. Stein.

"I forgot the readout was calibrated in whole digits," he said, "She never quite reached zero."

mhmhmh

Later they were celebrating. Frankie stayed in bed, still very weak.

"I'm so glad you're okay, love," said Lagoona, giving Frankie a hug.

"So, how did you like being a super hero?" Frankie asked Ghoulia.

_"I'm glad to have had the experience, but never again,"_ was the answer.

"Not if you're going around calling yourself The Zoombie, anyway," said Cleo.

There was laughter all around as Ghoulia looked sheepish.

Frankie took the zombie's hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. They had found an unexpected connection, and their friendship had grown stronger. It was a good time to be alive.

The End


End file.
